Advertisement
football Edit

WR Charles Headen ready for shot with SMU as a PWO

Charles Headen, who played three seasons at a Division II school, is excited about playing FBS ball on the Hilltop.

Advertisement


In recruiting, preferred walk-ons oftentimes don't get the publicity as signees. Charles Headen III doesn't mind the lack of fanfare.

What he appreciates, however, is the simple opportunity. Playing for Division II Shippensburg University of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), Headen had three good seasons in where he registered 80 catches for 909 yards and 14 touchdowns.

COVID-19, however, reared its ugly head on Shippensburg and the PSAC, as the conference announced earlier this year the cancellation of fall sports for the 2020 season. Without football, Headen focused on his academics and finished his undergraduate requirements, earning a degree in sociology earlier this month.

Playing football is still a strong desire for Headen, and he will get the chance to play FBS ball at SMU. He accepted a PWO opportunity and announced his plans to play for the Mustangs on Dec. 18.

"I am very excited to get to Dallas and test my talent against FBS talent," Headen told The HillTopics. "That has always been a dream of mine, since my ultimate goal is to play in the NFL."

A 5-8, 185-pound slot receiver out of Philadelphia, Headen will attend SMU as a graduate transfer. He plans on studying sports management for his master's degree.

On the field, he's run the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds, the 60-meter dash in 6.88 seconds and the 100-meter dash in 10.75 seconds. While at LaSalle College High School in Wyndmoor, just outside of Philadelphia, he was an all-league defensive back, as well as an all-state sprinter in track and field.

Headen played in 34 games in three seasons at Shippensburg. He started 22 of the 34.

"I feel that my experience of already playing college ball will help me in many aspects, as in learning the playbook and adapting to the new level of speed," Headen said. "I take pride in being a student of the game."

Headen's got good hands and is a slippery player when he has the ball. He averaged 11.4 yards per catch for his career.

Wide receiver depth is something head coach Sonny Dykes and his staff want to have for 2020, and Headen could be an unexpected surprise for the offense, depending on how spring workouts go. He's already focused on learning the offense and getting a jump on what's in store for him.

Playing for the Mustangs will give him the one final year he wanted to shine on the college level – and he's up for the challenge.

"I'm very big on my training habits, as well as watching film," he said. "I believe that being a student of the game is very important to being a good athlete, especially at the FBS level. That's something I have taken serious ever since I entered the college level."

Advertisement